those who are fenfible of their fin and danger, and have their eyes illuminated, are healed by the profpect, as the difeafed Ifraelites who looked upon the brazen ferpent: their whole hearts are mollified, changed, and comforted.

And the children whom the Lord hath given me. The difciples of the Meffiah, on whom the law of God is fealed, are doubtlefs the children whom Jehovah hath given him. The defcription is emphatic, juft, and inftructive, highly worthy of our ferious attention. They are the children of Immanuel, who, in the following chapter, is called the everlasting Father; and, in the fifty-third chapter of this pro phecy, they are spoken of as his feed and pofterity. They are begotten again by the incorruptible feed of his word; they are born from above, of his fpirit ; they bear his most amiable image; they are adopted into his divine family; they are the objects of his tender affection, and paternal care; they enjoy his fatherly protection; they are nourished and fupported by his provifions; they are inftructed by him, fo as to become wife unto falvation; they are admitted into his fellowship, and conftituted heirs of his eternal kingdom. On these and fimilar accounts, the difciples of Immanuel are, with great propriety, called his children, whom the Lord hath given him.[ pretend not to explain the tranfaction mentioned in this laft claufe, which ought rather to be confidered with admiration and gratitude, than inveftigated with culpable curiofity, and critical nicety. It is frequently alluded to in fcripture, particularly in the feventeenth chapter of John, where our bleffed Saviour, in his interceffory prayer, feveral times repeats this expreffion:

Thine they were (faith he to his heavenly Father), and thou gaveft them me;' and again, Father, I will that they whom thou haft given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. All

things are of God, who gives children unto men according to his good pleasure. He hath given his Son Jefus Chrift unto the world, as a glorious de monstration of his love, and the unspeakable gift of his grace. He hath given to Jefus Chrift men out of the world, as the important charge with which he is intrufted, that he might redeem them from all evil by his precious blood, that he may govern them as the fubjects of his kingdom, that he may inftruct them as difciples in his fchool, that he may constitute them members of his family and heirs of his glory, whilst he looks upon them as the rich rewards of his obedience even unto death. With this divine gift, the great Meffiah is here introduced as highly well pleased, and triumphing in the view of the glorious retinue with which he fhall be attended.Would you, my brethren, participate in the bleffed privilege of being presented at last among the children of Jefus Chrift, and entertain upon good grounds this defirable profpect? The folemn deed here mentioned, must be ratified by your confent. Impreffed with a deep fenfe of your danger, folicitoufly concerned for your falvation, and firmly perfuaded of the allfufficiency of Jefus Chrift, you must commit yourfelves to him, who is able to keep you against that day; and repose your confidence upon his omnipotent, arm, that he may preferve you to his heavenly kingdom. Befought by the mercies of God, prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy and acceptable to him, which is your reasonable service. unreferved furrender of yourselves to the Lord, to be wholly at his difpofal, and to act entirely for his honour, will make good his grant of you to Jefus Chrift. Though this facrifice is your folemn deed, yet, properly speaking, it is the gift of God, who furnishes not only the facrifice, but the altar, and fends down fire to enliven it from heaven.

The

Are for figns and wonders in Ifrael. Signs are fome uncommon appearances, which excite attention

and

and furprise, that cannot be accounted for by the laws of nature; and, therefore, remind the spectators of the power and prefence of God. Of this fort were the figns performed by Mofes, in the prefence of Pharaoh. A wonder is fome extraordinary phenomenon, that exceeds the expectations of those who behold it: fuch was bringing water from the rock, by Mofes ; and the raifing of the dead, by Jefus Chrift. The words are often promifcuously used; and when joined, as in this verse, the latter feeins intended to explain and illuftrate the former; and both are defigned to foretel, that the Meffiah, and his followers, were to be exceedingly remarkable on account of fome peculiar, furprising circumftances with which they were to be attended.Jefus Chrift is indeed altogether a most fingular and wonderful Perfon, in whom is united not a corruptible and immortal nature, as in, mankind, but the divine and human nature, which gives him infinitely the pre-eminence of all the fons of men. The circumftances which accompanied his nativity, the visible defcent of the Holy Ghost upon him at baptifm, the public teftimonies he received from heaven to his divine miffion and authority, the miraculous works that he performed, the fublimity and efficacy of his doctrine, the complicated, unparalleled fufferings he fuftained, the ignominious and accurfed death by which he made atonement for our fins, his triumphant refurrection from the dead, and glorious afcenfion into heaven, with their astonishing effects, exhibit to view the most ftupendous wonders that ever were contemplated. You cannot be furprised that thofe who beheld thefe marvellous things were obliged to exclaim-Who is this?-Surely this was the fon of God.-It was never fo feen in Ifrael.

With the Meffiah are here joined his children, who, like him, are alfo for figns and wonders. Though, in themselves, plain, illiterate men, remarkable neither for natural or acquired endowments, neither for high rank or distinguished reputation, they were pitched

upon

upon by their great Lord, to be his adopted, renewed children they were invested in the most honourable character, elevated to the most eminent ftation, poffeffed of the moft excellent fpirit, furnifhed with the most noble powers, enabled to perform the most wonderful works, and to execute the greatest defigns. Notwithstanding, they were made a fpectacle unta the world: they were made a gazing ftock, by reproaches and afflictions: they were treated in the most contemptible manner, as the filth and offscouring of all things: they were defpifed, and efteemed fools, for Christ's fake. They were thought to be prodigies of wretchedness, and figns that were every where fpoken against. The people of Ifrael, unable to refift the wifdom by which they spake, and the power by which they performed the most aftonishing miracles, were all amazed and marvelled: they were filled with wonder, and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jefus. Such was the opinion formed of the firft difciples of the Meffiah, with which correfpond the fentiments entertained concerning their followers, in fucceeding ages, by thofe among whom they have lived. Though the excellent ones of the earth, diftinguifhed by being blamelefs and harmless as the fons of God, yet, by a crooked and perverse generation, they have been charged with the most odious principles and practices: they have been mifrepresented as dangerous perfons, and treated as the vilest miscreants; and thus have been exhibited as figns and wonders. And at the final judgment, when they fhall appear with their Lord in the highest honour and glory, they fhall be viewed as figns and wonders of the Redeemer's power and grace.All that appears marvellous in Jefus Chrift, and his fpiritual children, we are here taught to confider as proceeding

From the Lord of hofts, who dwelleth in mount Zion. The defcription given in these words of Jehovah, is fhort and fublime: the Lord of hosts, who doth

whatsoever

From

whatsoever pleaseth him in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, whofe peculiar refidence is in mount Zion. Under the former difpenfation, God is faid to have dwelt in the literal Zion, which was therefore called his Holy hill; and in the earthly Jerufalem, honoured with the name of the City of the Lord. That highly favoured mountain was remarkable for its beautiful fituation: it was the delight of the nations, the joy of the whole earth: on its fummit was built the temple of the Lord, in which were the ark and glory of the Lord, and where the difplays of his gracious prefence were enjoyed by his people. In thefe and other refpects, it afforded an inftructive type of the Zion that is above, which, in a special manner, is the habitation of the Lord, wherein he richly manifefts his prefence and glory. All things are of God, from whom originated the plan, and from whom proceeded the prediction, of what we are here called to contemplate. his wife counfel and determined purpofe, from his fovereign will and good pleafure, from his faithful word and promife, from his divine power and effectual operation, proceed the interefting fcene prefented to view in this verfe, which I have illuftrated at confiderable length. If you have received fpiritual advantage from the confideration of this paffage, correfponding to the attention that you have now given me, neither my labour, nor your attendance, fhall be in vain.This fubject reminds you who are the dif ciples of Jefus Chrift, that you must lay your account with being confidered as wonders and prodigics, even among those who profefs to be the people of God. It is enough that the difciple be as his mafter, and the fervant as his Lord. As Jefus Chrift was, fo ought you to be in the world, glorying in your conformity to him in his fufferings, as your diftinguished honour and felicity. Viewing your refemblance to your gracious Redeemer, as proceeding from the divine love and appointment, you may rejoice in the

bleffed